White House & Military Leaders At Odds Over Court Order On Gays In Military

The White House says time is running out on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs on Wednesday reiterated President Barack Obama’s view that the ban on openly gay service in the military should be ended. Gibbs told reporters that recent court rulings have demonstrated that “time is running out on the policy of don’t ask, don’t tell.”

He says, “This is a policy that is going to end.”

In the most recent court decision involving the ban, a federal judge in Riverside, California on Tuesday ordered an immediate end to the policy. While Obama supports dropping the ban, he has preferred to let Congress take the lead in doing away with it.

On board a U.S. military aircraft, meantime, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says abruptly ending the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy would have “enormous consequences” for the troops.

Gates told reporters that the question of whether to repeal the law should be decided by Congress, and done only after the Pentagon completes its study on the issue.

The Justice Department is considering whether to appeal the court ruling.

Gates said he feels strongly that legislation, not a court order, should determine the policy.